Student Update: Industrial action over pensions

A message sent on behalf of Jonathan Morgan, Academic Registrar and Council Secretary, to all students on Friday 9 February

9 February 2018

Some staff in UK universities have been asked by their trade union to take strike action as part of a national dispute about proposed changes to their pension arrangements.

The dates of the proposed action are:

Monday 26, Tuesday 27 and Wednesday 28 February

Monday 5, Tuesday 6, Wednesday 7 and Thursday 8 March

Monday 12, Tuesday 13, Wednesday 14, Thursday 15 and Friday 16 March

Monday 19 and Tuesday 20 March.

Staff who intend to take part in this strike action do not have to tell us at this stage. We have been preparing for this industrial action, and will do everything we can to minimise the impact on you. Unless you are told otherwise by your School or Institute, you should assume that all teaching and assessment will carry on at scheduled times in the usual way.

We have provided the answers to some frequently asked questions via the Student Enquiry Centre (SEC) webpage, and we will keep these updated. You can also find this by searching the SEC Online helpdesk FAQs for ‘Industrial Strike Action’. You can also raise and track a query through the online system via MySIS, email studentenquiry@qmul.ac.uk, or talk with your School or Institute.

We appreciate that the proposed changes to pension provision would have a significant impact upon many of our staff and understand their concerns. The funding of university staff pensions is however a national issue that is managed by the pension Trustees with oversight from the Pension Regulator, and cannot be resolved locally by this university. If you would like to read more about the dispute, both Universities UK and the trade union UCU have made answers to frequently asked questions available. Please note that Queen Mary is not responsible for the content of external websites.

In addition, the Principal, Professor Colin Bailey, will hold an open meeting for all students, which will be another opportunity for you to raise any questions or concerns you may have. The meeting will take place on Thursday 15 February, 2-3pm, in the Skeel Lecture Theatre, People’s Palace, Mile End.